


Knight or Thief?

by Luminary_Oleander (SephyAthredon)



Series: SephyAthredon Whumptober 2020 [1]
Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Begging, Body mutilation, Burns, Caring Sylvando - Freeform, Erik doesn't make much of an appearance here, Fatherly Rab, Heavily injured party members - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Neither does Serena or Jade, Pick who dies, Pre- Act 2, Prompt Number 2, Struggling, The Luminary's name is Oleander, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:27:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27196486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SephyAthredon/pseuds/Luminary_Oleander
Summary: Oleander is forced to chose between two of his closest companions in a life or death situation. An entry for Whumptober under that prompt "Pick who dies".
Relationships: Camus | Erik/Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), Graig | Hendrik & Hero | Luminary, Graig | Hendrik/Sylvia | Sylvando (Dragon Quest XI)
Series: SephyAthredon Whumptober 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1992352
Kudos: 5





	Knight or Thief?

**Author's Note:**

> (Tagged as Luminerik but not so much about Erik and the Luminary as it is about the platonic relationship between Hendrik and the Luminary)

The Fortress of Fear was full of all sorts of monsters, of all shapes and sizes. Some of them were easy enough to fight, but there were plenty that gave him a run for his money. It was a harrowing trek through the Fortress, but soon Oleander found himself in one of the last rooms. There was just one monster standing between him and the chance to finally face Mordegon.

He’d dealt with the monsters that everyone called ‘Killing Machines’ before, but this one was unlike any of those. It was a little bigger than normal and painted red instead of the usual blue. It was one of the floating kinds, called a ‘Crimson killing machine’ for its red color.

The already exhausted party had quickly found themselves overwhelmed by the monster. From one end to the other, the party consisted of Erik, Hendrik, Oleander and Serena. It didn’t take long for the machine to injure everyone. Oleander and Erik were both on their knees and Hendrik looked like he was trying hard to stay up, his teeth bared and a look of concentration on his face. Serena had been knocked out entirely, unable to heal the party. 

Oleander tried to do what he could, healing Hendrik so that he could stand straight without so much effort. Hendrik returned the favor by channeling his rage into a heavy attack with his greatsword, damaging the opponent significantly, and giving Oleander hope that they could win the fight.

Those hopes were quickly dashed.

Erik didn’t get a chance to go, since he had been knocked over last round, so that meant it was the Killing Machine’s turn. A loud beeping noise emitted from it as it moved toward Oleander, grabbing him and throwing him across the room. The Luminary landed against the nearest wall with a thunk, adding another wound to the many that slowed his movements.

Unlike so many other monsters before it, this one didn’t return to it’s spot. It didn’t play by the rules.

Instead it rushed toward Hendrik, hitting the man square in the stomach with it’s mace. Letting out a shout, the Knight dropped to his knees, coughing loudly and dropping his sword. That hit broke something.

Slowly, painfully, Oleander got to his feet and approached the Killing Machine. Upon seeing this, the machine placed itself between the downed figures of his friends.

“Stop.” The order was given in a mechanical voice without any hint of emotion, but Oleander found himself obeying, not wanting anything to happen to them. He glanced to Serena, a few feet away, who was still out, hoping she wouldn’t get dragged into this. Ultimately though, his gaze settled back on the machine, which began to speak again.

“I am about to self-destruct. Pick which one goes with me. If you attack, you’ll set off my self-destruct early and all of you will die.”

Oleander’s eyes widened in disbelief as his gaze flickered between his two companions. Erik had been trying hard to get back up, but one of the monster’s hands was pressed firmly on his back. Hendrik was also trying to get back up, growls of frustration leaving his mouth as he tried to fight the hand holding him down. The monster’s usual weapons were nowhere in sight, but there was still a crossbow attached to the bottom of it, which it pointed between it’s two hostages.

“I will not surrender to a mechanical fiend like you! You won’t get away with doing this!” Hendrik growled, his fury plain on his face.

“Y-Yeah” Erik’s voice was weaker, but still there, “We’re going to make you pay!”

The machine answered these threats by increasing pressure on their backs. Hendrik’s arms gave way underneath him, causing him to fall to the ground. Erik still managed to stay up, though his arms were shaking.

The monster once again addressed Oleander, piercing red eye, staring directly at him.

“Hurry up, or I will take both.”

The Luminary’s heart jumped in fear as he heard that and he froze up, looking between Hendrik and Erik once more. Erik was the man that he loved more than anyone else in the world. He’d almost always been by Oleander’s side since the day that they’d met. Even if he had been a thief when they met, he had a heart of gold and was easy to get along with.

It was not an easy choice, no matter what combination of teammates it ended up being, offering one of them to be killed would never be an easy choice to make and the final decision would always weigh on his conscience. This choice was especially hard though.

Hendrik was a man that Oleander always believed was not evil, even when the man was hellbent on capturing him, calling him “Darkspawn”. He could see that he was just a loyal knight, doing what he believed was best for his country. Hearing the way people talked about him helped to enforce that idea. He was never an enemy.

When Yggdrasil fell, Oleander found himself partnering up with Hendrik to bring back the daylight and that was when the two of them formed a bond. Now, the man was his sword, shield, and unswerving companion. Hendrik was one of the strongest and most loyal people he knew. 

But Oleander knew he had to make the decision quickly and if there was anyone that was going to survive a blast like that, it was Hendrik, even in his beat down state. 

“I-I pick Hendrik...” Oleander pointed to him, to make sure the machine knew which one he was talking about. It nodded in response

The look that appeared on Hendrik’s face when he heard this was heartbreaking. He stopped his task of trying to get back to his feet to just stop and stare at Oleander, his mouth open slightly in surprise.

“What, no!” Came Erik’s voice, “You can’t pick Hendrik! There must be some other way to solve this that doesn’t end in anyone’s death!”

“I’m sorry…” Oleander said softly, looking away. As he did so, he spotted Serena once more, “Wait, let me get my other friend out of the way.” He carefully started stepping toward her and picking her up. He kept glancing at the killing machine as he did so. It didn’t seem to react, but that ominous beeping noise got faster. 

He set Serena down once she was safe and faced the killing machine.

“It is time.” It said, picking Erik up by the back of his coat and tossing him toward Oleander.

“H-Hey!” The thief shouted, “Wait, can’t we talk about this!?” He ended up falling against Oleander, who struggled to keep himself steady. Unable to stand any longer, he sank to his knees, holding Erik in his arms, as he watched the Killing Machine.

“No! Stop! What are you doing!? STOP!” Hendrik shouted as he was restrained by the machine and brought up against its chest. The beeping got even faster.

Hendrik made eye contact with the Luminary for a few moments, able to see how quickly his eyes were filling up with tears as he watched this.

“I’m sorry Hendrik, I couldn’t bring myself to pick Erik.”

In that second, the knight understood, “You love him after all…”

“I do..” Oleander responded in a choked voice, “But I will miss my sword… shield… and unswerving companion. I also know that you’ll be missed by so many other people. Should you die today, know that your death will be felt across the land. Goodbye sir Hendrik.”

Oleander was starting to believe that maybe he shouldn’t have picked Erik.

The beeping sped up even more until the noise was just a low drone of continuous beeps. Hendrik didn’t have much time left.

“Serving you as your faithful Knight was the highest honor I could have had. Goodbye, Olea-” His sentence was cut off as the self-destruct protocol initiated, engulfing Hendrik in a blazing ball of fire. The only noise that came from him in that moment was a loud scream, and then nothing. 

The machine was nothing but a heap of scrap and Hendrik’s charred body dropped to the ground in front of a teary eyed Oleander. He wasted no time placing Erik aside, gently, and then scrambling over to try and see if his companion was still alive.

“Hendrik?” He touched the other’s body and then reeled back, realizing that he’d been burned by the high temperature. He didn’t care, turning the man over slowly so he could check his breathing. The luminary’s marked hand hovered over Hendrik’s nose and mouth. He didn’t feel any sign of a breath against his hand at first, which caused his eyes to well up even more and for teardrops to fall onto his companion’s body.

“Hendrik, please tell me you’re alive!” He choked his next word out, “please…”

“It doesn’t look good…” Came a voice from his right. Oleander turned his head quickly in that direction, only to see that it was Erik. He had crawled to the Luminary’s side.

Oleander trembled, barely able to keep his hand over Hendrik’s nose and mouth, hoping for some sign that he was still alive. He almost missed the faint ghosting of a breath against his skin. When he felt it, Oleander let out a gasp, scrambling to check the man’s heartbeat. It was faint but still there.

“He’s still alive…. Barely. Probably not for long.” Oleander spoke quietly, tears still falling as he tried to pick Hendrik up, “I’m going to cast Evac. Erik, could you get Serena?”

“Y-Yeah, sure. I can try at least.” Erik got to his feet, but he swayed heavily as he headed to the spot where Serena had been put down. He picked her up and, though his legs were shaking badly, he headed back over to Oleander. 

As the Luminary prepped the spell, Hendrik held oddly in his arms, Erik leaned heavily against him.

“Don’t worry, we’re almost out of here, then you can rest, Erik” He said after casting the spell.

“I don’t want to rest” Erik insisted, “I want to make sure that Hendrik recovers from this.”

Oleander didn’t have time to answer as a light engulfed all four of them and they were transported to the entrance of the dungeon. 

The first thing he noticed were his other teammates, they must have cast the same spell as he did. He thought he heard the noise of someone falling next to him, he glanced over and realized that Erik was on the floor, still holding Serena. The effort must have been too much for him in his weakened state.

He meant to call out, but suddenly, Oleander felt dizzy, swaying heavily where he stood. The adrenaline finally wore off. He could faintly hear Sylvando’s voice.

“Hendrik! Hendrik! What happened to him?” He was hardly aware of the man being taken from his arms.

“P-Please help him....” Oleander’s words slurred together a little with how exhausted he was, “He’s only barely alive…” After those words were said, he could feel himself falling, only for someone to catch him. He looked up to see that he was in his Grandfather’s arms. He was aware of several voices talking all at once, but only the closest one caught his attention.

“There there, take it easy lad. We’ll take it from here. You go ahead and rest now. We’ll get Hendrik all healed up.” Gently, Rab slung his grandson over his shoulder, the only way that he could really carry the other. Oleander’s initial panic subsided and he let himself pass out just at the party started to cast Zoom.

\---

He woke up not long after he had passed out. He could see Jade’s legs, as she was walking behind Rab, but what really caught his attention was his surroundings. He was in The Last Bastion. He could see some of the refugees going about their daily activities, as well as a few guards making sure the town was safe. They had all stopped to stare in his direction. Some were crying, while others had their mouths open in surprise. 

Oleander could already guess what they were so shocked about. After all, they were walking through the streets with the badly injured figure of a brave knight that they held in high regard. Not only that, but the Luminary that everyone believed would save them. One voice cuts through the rest.

“My baby! Oh! Let me see my brave little soldier!” He couldn’t see her from where he was, but Oleander recognized his mother’s voice and suddenly realized how badly he wanted to see her.

“Oh! Miss Amber. I was hoping we would see you! You wouldn’t mind if we leave Oleander in your care for a little while, would you?” He heard Rab speak, stopping in his tracks. He could hear the others go past without stopping.

“No, of course not! I will admit that I don’t have much right now, but you both are welcome to share what I do.” 

“I.. would like to stay with him, truth be told. I don’t need much, and I’ve already healed up what I could of Oleander’s injuries. All he needs now is rest.”

“Come on then. I’ll fix both of you up a nice warm pot of his favorite stew, how does that sound?” 

“Aye, I think both of us would like that very much.”

Oleander smiled, closing his eyes once more. He’s lucky to have such a wonderful family.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

He awoke next in a tent, to the sound of Amber and Rab chatting away outside of it and the smell of soup on the fire. It almost reminded him of home, and it was enough to make him forget what happened for a moment. He laid in bed for a little while longer, before finally deciding to get up.

When he exited the tent, he easily spotted Amber and Rab sitting near each other by the fire. It was night outside, so the only light came from the fire, which reflected orange light onto their forms. Moving slowly, he took a seat next to Amber, waving at them with a small smile on his face.

“There’s my little Soldier! How are you feelling?” Amber asked, quickly getting up to grab a bowl of soup for him.

“A lot better, thank you..” He looked to Rab, the next question got stuck in his throat as he tried to ask, “H-How…. How is Hendrik doing?”

Rab looked down at his hands as he wrung them together nervously, “I’m not going to lie to ya laddie. It’s still looking rough. King Carnelian is makin’ sure he gets the best care he can, but it might already be too late. From what I heard, It’s all up to Hendrik now. We’ll just have to wait out the night.

Oleander nodded, a solemn look on his face, “Where’s everyone else?” 

“Ah… well, Sylvando and Jade are staying by Hendrik’s side as long as possible, and an auld friend of Erik’s said he’ll look after him.”

A small smile tugged at the corners of Oleander’s mouth, “Of course. That must be Dirk. He’d do anything for Erik. He’s in good hands.”

“Aye, that he is.” Rab nodded.

“What about Serena?”

“A few good folk from the church here are looking after her. She’s been making good progress, both of them have.” 

“Well at least there’s that to be happy about…” Oleander replied, letting out a sigh of relief. A bowl of soup was pushed into his hands by Amber.

“Here, eat up. Then we’ll call it a night, okay?”

He nodded, “Thanks, mom.” 

“Oh, anything for you, sweetie.” She replied with a small smile.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

When it was time for Oleander to lay down again, he found that he couldn’t sleep. Instead he got up in the middle of the night and left the tent, heading for where he thought they were keeping Hendrik.

When he entered the makeshift tent he was being kept inside, the first thing he noticed was Sylvando sitting next to the still form of Hendrik. Jade was a bit off to the side, having fallen asleep, but Sylv was wide awake. His usually smiling face was pulled into a frown, bags clearly visible under his eyes, indicating that he hasn’t gotten any sleep.

The Luminary took a seat next to his companion, seemingly jolting the man from his thoughts.

“Oh honey, I didn’t expect you to visit so late at night.” He spoke in a low whisper, careful not to disturb Jade’s sleep, “How are you feeling?”

“A lot better…” Oleander replied, but his eyes didn’t leave the sleeping form of Hendrik. The man’s breaths were a little stronger than before and he could hear pained noises emitting from him. He was bandaged almost from head to toe. It was the most vulnerable state he’d ever seen the knight in. It broke his heart to see his stalwart protector like this. He felt Sylvando place a hand gently on his shoulder.

“He’ll be okay. I know Hendrik, he’s not the type to just up and leave us so easily.” Sylv spoke.

“I know… I just” Oleander’s eyes welled up with tears again, “I was given a choice. Pick who dies… him or Erik. I picked him.” His gaze was fixated on Hendrik’s face, “I’m sorry…”

“Honey… Honey no…” Sylv wrapped him gently in a hug, “Don’t blame yourself, you should never have had to make that choice in the first place. Come here.” He held Oleander close to him, “Let it all out, Sylv’s here for you.”

And Oleander did, grabbing tightly to Sylvando and letting out quiet sobs against his shirt.

“H-He’s done so much for m-me, Sylv. H-He means so much to so many people. It was selfish of me to pick E-Erik…”

Sylvando ran one of his hands gently through Oleander’s hair to try and calm him, “No it wasn’t. You love him after all. When faced with a choice like that, it’s only natural to pick the one that you love..”

His words were helping to assuage Oleander’s worries. Once again, he glanced over to Hendrik. The mere fact that he was able to see the gentle rise and fall of the man’s chest as he breathed helped to calm him even more.

The night passed slowly, but Oleander and Sylvando spent it talking to each other. As dawn broke, the two of them fell asleep against each other. They didn’t even notice when some people entered the tent to move Hendrik. Jade had been awake by then, she left the tent as well, but she came back a while later to wake the two of them.

Sylv was the first to wake, catching Oleander in his arms as he slumped over. Slowly, the Luminary opened his eyes, only to see Sylvando and Jade looking down at him.

“Good news, little brother,” Jade was the first to speak, “Hendrik’s looking better this morning. It seems like he’ll make a full recovery soon.”

Oleander smiled, “I’m glad, let me just.. sleep a little bit longer,” Despite the rest he had gotten before nightfall, he was still tired from staying up for most of the night.

Sylv nodded, scooping him into his arms, “Then rest. I’ll take you home.”


End file.
